Genovesa (continued)

Dawny G

Sunday

Jul 8, 2018 at 5:52 PM

Having interrupted the 'flow' of the Galapagos narrative for Porchfest (and a holiday break), we'll return to the islands with a few photos of the red-footed boobies we encountered in our morning on Genevosa. There may be red-footed boobies on other islands, but the largest red-foot population is on Genovesa.

note the size of the wingAfter the morning walk, we take a panga ride around the island (panga - small boat that we use to go from ship to island). From the water, it's easy to spot some resting sea lions among the volcanic rocks.

Sleeping sea lionsAnd now back to our home away from home --the Letty --for lunch. A few people go kayaking before we return to Genovesa. I take the time to stare in awe at my photos. (Not because I'm such a great photographer--because the variety and unusual birds I've seen in just a few hours has totally captivated me.)

Prepared with wet-suits for snorkeling from the beach, we return, this time landing at Darwin Bay Beach. This is our first 'wet landing'. This morning we stepped from the panga on to dry rock. Now we are going to a sandy beach and step from the panga into ankle deep water, and walk to the shore.

This visit begins with a walk along a carefully marked trail that leads past tidal lagoons. The trail is set to protect the life on the beach. We see Galapagos Herons (yellow-crowned night herons?) Galapagos Heron (yellow crowned night heron?)Galapagos HeronThen there are the frigate birds. The name, 'frigate' comes from the word used for pirate ships, because the birds have a bit of the robber spirit. Frigate birds don't enter the water. To get food, they use their long hooked beaks to harass other seabirds until their 'victims' drop their catch--which the frigate bird then snags before it hits the water (hence the pirate link). They also fly low over the water to catch fish that float close to the surface--a tasty dinner without getting wet.

female frigate bird and chick

Male frigate bird (note the red patch under his chin)Under his bill, the male frigate bird has a red pouch that he inflates to a very impressive red balloon that attracts females during mating season (you can see the uninflated pouch in the photo above). While I didn't get to see the inflated pouch or the mating ritual in action, many who did have generously posted videos on youtube. This is one of several worth watching: https://tinyurl.com/male-frigate-mating-dance